Top 10: Travel Tips From Shane Smith

Vice magazine cofounder Shane Smith doesn’t often take “no” for an answer, making him one of the most fearless journalists out there. On his globe-trotting adventures, he has ventured to places very few have gone -- North Korea, Iran and Liberia, to name a few -- reporting the most shocking stories you could fathom. It’s Vice, after all -- or VBS, as its wildly popular online broadcast network is known.

However, Smith is making headlines these days with the news of Vice Media striking up an investment deal with mainstream corporate media. Has Smith sold out? Is this the end of hipster media? Only time will tell, but we caught up with him in 2010 before he departed for yet another trip to Afghanistan. Though increased airport security made waves in the media, he laughed at the public uproar over full-body scans and pat downs compared to having to contend with “Mr. Jelly Finger.”

So just how does this Canadian native, who admits, “I enjoy the hell out of my life,” manage to travel wherever he wants, get access to such crazy stories and get away with it? Here are some of Smith’s tips to unfettered travel whether you’re a journalist or a thrill seeker.